Found
by netangel182
Summary: When she was eleven, Belinda's world fell apart. Six years later, she returns to pick up the pieces. And all roads lead to the newsies.
1. Disclaimer

Disclaimer: ah the necessary evil. Yes of course I own none of the newsies. Some lucky person at Disney does 


	2. one

"Stop dawdling would you?"  
  
"And what, may I ask, are you in such a hurry for?"  
  
My impatient companion dragged me down the street. "Come on, Bel. We're going to miss it."  
  
"Gabriel Thatcher, what could you possibly want to see this early in the morning?" I yawned, further proving my point.  
  
"That."  
  
I scanned the square, my attention snagged by a group of boys standing around the front of a huge iron gate. To me, the scene wasn't all that impressive, but when I glanced over at Gabe, he was positively glowing. Something about those newsies left a goofy grin on his face. In the fourteen years that I had known him, I don't think that I had ever seen him so happy.  
  
Soon, the crowd began to disperse as the newsies headed off to sell their papers. Gabe and I likewise started down the street, headed for no where in particular.  
  
"I will be one of them someday," he said whimsically.  
  
The thought of Gabe as a newsie nearly set me into a fit of giggles, but I contained myself. Instead, logic kicked in. "What will your father say?"  
  
"I don't know," he replied simply.  
  
We spent the rest of the afternoon bumming around Manhattan, enjoying one of the last days of the summer. When supper time finally arrived, we reluctantly started home, passing slowly through Central Park.  
  
"Race you home," I said with a devilish grin.  
  
He raised his eyebrows at me. "Race? But you're a girl!"  
  
"And so what if I am? I can still soak you."  
  
"We'll see about that!" He took off down the path, leaving me in the dust.  
  
I finally caught up with him as we rounded the last corner before home. I nearly ran into him when he stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk. His eyes were glued on the dark smoke that was billowing from the windows of the Thatcher's home.  
  
My mother approached us with tears in her eyes.  
  
"No," Gabe kept repeating, backing around the corner.  
  
I darted after him, finally catching up a few blocks down Broadway. "Gabe, wait."  
  
"I can't. I have to get away." I could see the tears beginning to well up in his eyes.  
  
I pulled him into a tight hug. "You can't leave. I won't let you."  
  
He squeezed me tighter. "I love you, Bel."  
  
Before I could react, he took off into the bustle of the New York streets, leaving me alone on the sidewalk, tears rolling down my cheeks.  
  
Two days later, Gabriel still hadn't returned and my parents decided that it would be in my best interest to complete my schooling at a boarding school in London. 


	3. two

The sudden docking of the boat pulled me back to reality. Glancing over the railing, I could see New York Harbor in all its glorious commotion.  
  
"Your luggage tag, Miss?" the steward asked as I stepped onto the dock.  
  
"Oh yes, of course." I handed him a slip of paper. "Thank you."  
  
While I waited patiently for him to return with my trunk, I watched the people that rushed passed me. Excitement surged through my veins. It had been six years since I last set foot on the busy streets of New York and the energy from the city was refreshing.  
  
"Miss Spencer," a voice called, recapturing my attention, "is that really you?"  
  
"Edgar!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around the old man in front of me, a butler who had worked for my parents for as long as I could remember.  
  
"Turn around," he commanded, "let me have a look at you."  
  
I spun in a slow circle, giving him the chance to soak in all of the changed in my appearance. I turned to a nearby shop window and inspected my reflection. The strawberry blonde hair that hung loosely around my shoulders as a child had turned the color of honey and was pulled into a proper bun. A slight crimson replaced the freckles that had painted my high cheekbones.  
  
"You look like your mother did, when I first knew her," Edgar commented, quickly catching himself. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to --"  
  
"It's alright," I assured him. "Come on, lets go home."  
  
"Miss Belinda? Is that you?"  
  
I ran into the kitchen, seeking the woman who had been a second mother to me. "Mrs. Paige! I have missed you."  
  
An hour later, my trunks safely stored in my bedroom, I sat drinking tea with Mrs. Paige.  
  
"So, how does it feel to be home, Belinda?" she asked, refilling my tea cup.  
  
"Different," I replied, taking a small sip. After a moment of silence, I stood. "I think that I am going to go for a walk."  
  
The neighborhood had changed significantly in the time that I had been away. New houses and factories sprang up everywhere, and all of the old decaying buildings had been torn down. The only place that hadn't changed entire city was Central Park. It still retained the same peace and beauty that I remembered from my youth, but now it seemed to have become something else. A safe haven; the only place of calm in a city of chaos.  
  
I found a bench overlooking an open field. Two children played carelessly, tumbling on the grass. I watched them with a sad smile, scenes from my childhood flashing in my mind.  
  
"Miss Spencer?"  
  
I looked up to see Thomas Lawrence and his mother, friends of my parents, approaching on the path.  
  
I nodded to them politely. "Mrs. Lawrence, Thomas, it is nice to see you again."  
  
"I was very sorry to hear about your parents, my dear. How are you holding up?" Mrs. Lawrence inquired sweetly.  
  
"As well as can be expected, Ma'am."  
  
She nodded in understanding. "You will come to visit us now that you are back in town, won't you?"  
  
The idea of spending too much time with any of my parent's friends, especially the Lawrences, made my stomach turn. In no mood to argue, I politely agreed and excused myself.  
  
As I exited the park, someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Buy a paper, Miss?"  
  
I turned to see a young man, about my age, holding a paper toward me. His small wire glasses and raggedy clothes once again brought back the memory of that afternoon when I was eleven. A tear started to roll down my cheek as an image of Gabriel watching the newsies flashed in the back of my mind.  
  
"Miss, are you alright?" the newsie asked, his brown eyes full of concern.  
  
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Here you are." I handed him a dime. When he went to hand me change, I stopped him. "Please, keep it."  
  
"Specs! Lets go! We're meeting the boys at Tibby's in five minutes," a blonde, glasses-clad newsie called from across the street.  
  
"Keep ya shirt on, Dutchy. I'm commin!"  
  
As I watched the pair vanish into the crowded street, I heard avoice in the back of my mind. 'I'll be one of them someday'.  
  
It suddenly occurred to me that if Gabe had stayed in New York, I would find him among the newsies. 


	4. three

"Can I help you, Miss?" an old man behind the desk called as I scanned the room.  
  
"Well, well, what have we here?" a short Italian piped up, nursing a cigar near the stairwell.  
  
The newsie that I recognized as Dutchy from that afternoon slapped the Italian on the back of the head. "Give it a rest Race."  
  
"Ma'am?" The old man prompted.  
  
"Oh." I walked up to the counter. "I was wondering if you could help me find someone."  
  
"I can sure try. What's his name?"  
  
"Gabriel Thatcher," I replied.  
  
An apologetic look painted his face. "I'm sorry, miss. I ain't never heard that name."  
  
I bit my lip in disappointment. "Well, thank you anyway."  
  
"Wait just a second," he continued when he saw the look on my face. "Let me ask the boys."  
  
He turned to the ever-growing crowd of newsies in the lobby. "Boys, this young lady is looking for somebody named Gabriel Thatcher. That ring a bell to any of you?"  
  
"What business you got with him?" Race asked, stepping to the front of the group.  
  
I narrowed my eyes at him. "My business is my own. I am simply asking if you know the name."  
  
"In that case," Race replied with a smug smile. "I'm afraid that we can't help you."  
  
"I see. I'll be on my way then." I soberly turned and walked out the door.  
  
I was a block down the street when I heard someone calling after me. "Miss! Hey! Wait up, will ya?"  
  
Hesitantly, I turned to see two newsies running toward me. One, I immediately recognized as Specs, the newsie who sold me a paper that afternoon. The other, a tall brunette who wore a red bandana around his neck, was the first to speak. "Please, miss, come back inside. We'll help you find your friend."  
  
"Oh, so now you think that you can help me," I spat in frustration. "What about your little Italian friend?"  
  
Specs flashed a slight smile. "Don't worry about Race. He's just protective is all."  
  
"In our line of work, that's important," the other newsie added. "But I think that we can trust you. I'm Jack Kelley."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kelley. I'm Belinda Spencer."  
  
"Call me Jack." He smiled, his eyes dancing. "Well, Belinda, our help is yours if you still want it."  
  
"Hey Cowboy," Specs interrupted. "We better get to Tibby's if we're going to make it in time for dinner."  
  
Jack nodded and turned to me. "Why don't you join us? We'll start searchin there."  
  
We started down the street, getting only a few blocks before Jack stopped again. "There I go forgettin my manners again. Belinda, this is Specs." He motioned to the boy beside him.  
  
Specs flushed. "We already met, Jack."  
  
Jack raised his eyebrows at him, but said nothing.  
  
When we arrived at the diner, it seemed like every newsie in the city was there. The three of us squished around an already crowded table.  
  
"So when would this boy, Gabriel, have started?" Jack began.  
  
"About six years ago, I would guess."  
  
"Sorry to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but most of these boys weren't around back then," Race spoke up, more sincere than earlier. "There are only a few of us in Manhattan that have been here that long."  
  
"Well, that's a start then, isn't it?" I asked hopefully.  
  
Race shot me a sad smile. "Sorry, sweety, but he ain't in Manhattan. Don't worry, there's tons of boroughs. There's no tellin where he might have ended up. If he even made it this long."  
  
My heart sank and I began to feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes.  
  
"So it really is hopeless," I murmured, more to myself than to anyone else. When I realized that everyone was staring at me, I politely excused myself.  
  
Outside on the street, the cool air stung my eyes. I was glad to finally be feeling something again, even if it was discomfort.  
  
"Belinda?" Specs appeared beside me, holding out a napkin. "Are you alright?"  
  
I nodded, dabbing the moist corners of my eyes.  
  
He frowned at the tears that had escaped capture and were streaming down my cheeks. "Hey, please don't cry. Just cause no one in Manhattan knows your friend, doesn't mean we're gonna give up. We've got friends. We'll find him. You just gotta have hope."  
  
"Sometimes that's easier said than done."  
  
He shrugged. "In our line of work, hope it all that we have. Come on, it's gettin late. Let me walk you home."  
  
When we got to my front porch, he tipped his brimmed hat. "Goodnight, Miss Spencer."  
  
"Goodnight, Specs. And thank you for the escort."  
  
He nodded and started down the street.  
  
"Oh, and Specs," I called after him, "you can call me Belinda."  
  
He turned back with a smile. "Meet us at Tibby's tomorrow, at noon."  
  
I retuned his grin. "Alright."  
  
He nodded and waved before turning down the street and disappearing into the darkness. 


	5. four

The next morning, I woke with a start, haunted by memories and nightmares. My cat, Pixie, cuddled against my legs, trying to provide any comfort possible. I stroked her fluffy coat absently for a moment before preparing for the day.  
  
Descending the stairs, I inspected the pictures on the wall. Faces of my past stared back at me. My parent's wedding picture, family portraits and neighborhood social pictures, all distant memories. They filled my eyes with tears.  
  
"Come now," Mrs. Paige said, pulling me from the pictures. "Let me make you some breakfast."  
  
We sat at the small table in the kitchen, having the tea and toast that she had prepared.  
  
"What am I going to do now, Mrs. Paige?" I asked, noticing more desperation in my voice than I cared for.  
  
A forced smile crossed her lips. "Oh, honey, don't worry about that now. There will be time for that later. Just try to relax."  
  
I tried to take her words to heart, but relaxation was the last thing on my mind. At that moment, all of my thoughts were concentrated on finding Gabe. Everything that I had known from my past was slipping away and I needed something to grasp onto. That something was my search and the newsies.  
  
I suddenly needed fresh air. I gave Mrs. Paige a quick hug. "I am going out for the afternoon."  
  
When I was safely out on the street, I took a deep breath and looked around. Pulling my shawl tighter around my shoulders to bar out the cool autumn breeze, I started down the street with no particular destination. Eventually, I made my way to Central Park, sitting on a bench near the pond. For hours, I sat there watching the people pass me by. I began to wonder about their lives and their futures. It was a welcome distraction from the slew of thoughts swimming around my mind.  
  
Suddenly, my eyes focused on a vaguely familiar figure sauntering up the path toward me. "Specs?"  
  
"Well, hello again, Belinda," he called cheerfully.  
  
I managed a weak smile. "Hello."  
  
"Why the sad face beautiful?"  
  
I smiled brighter. "It's nothing. I'm just having a bad morning."  
  
"Come on," he said, offering me his elbow. "I know what'll cheer you up."  
  
When we reached Tibby's, the diner was already filled with newsies. They all welcomed us with cheerful hellos as Specs and I made our way to Jack's table.  
  
"Heya Specs, ya finally got yourself a goil? It's about time," a newsie that I didn't recognize called from his place beside Jack.  
  
Specs' face contorted into an angry scowl. "She ain't my girl, Spot."  
  
Jack set down his glass and patted the boy on the back. "Belinda, meet Spot Conlon, leader of the Brooklyn newsies. Spot, dis is the girl that I was tellin you about. We're helpin her find a friend."  
  
"Heya sweetface, how's it rollin?" he asked in a thick Brooklyn accent.  
  
I raised my eyebrows at him. "Sweetface?"  
  
He quickly backed down, hiding behind his menu.  
  
"So, Belinda, tell us more about this friend of yours," Race suggested, taking a seat in the empty chair beside me.  
  
I told them as much as I could remember about Gabe, but realized that if he had changed as much as I had in six years, the description would not have been very helpful. When I had finished, I let out a light sigh of desperation.  
  
"We'll keep askin for ya," Jack reassured, resting his hand on my arm.  
  
I smiled. "Thank you."  
  
The rest of the afternoon, our discussions were general and casual. I learned what it meant to be a newsie and the boys animatedly described a strike that they had organized a year earlier.  
  
Throughout the conversation, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. At one point in the evening, I looked up to find Dutch staring at me, barely taking the time to blink. When he realized that he had been caught, he just shrugged and went back to his meal. Shifting uncomfortably, I turned my attention back to Jack and Spot's conversation.  
  
"I'm starting a poker game back at the lodging house. You boys commin?" Race asked, returning to our table from across the room.  
  
Specs pulled a few coins from his pocket. "Yeah. I got enough."  
  
"Cowboy?" Race turned to Jack.  
  
"Ah, why not? You wanna come Belinda?"  
  
"Sure," I replied, welcoming any distraction from going home.  
  
I sat on the window sill in the lobby, watching a table full of newsies squinting at their cards. When one boy ran out of money, another would take his seat. Soon after the game began, Specs joined me on the windowsill.  
  
"Out of money already?" I teased.  
  
He clanked the coins in his pocket. "Nah, I won. With these boys, you learn to quit while you're ahead."  
  
"Smart man," I replied, studying the other boys. As I scanned the room, I once again found Dutchy staring at me from his spot on the steps. I leaved over to Specs. "What's his story?"  
  
"Who, Dutchy? I don't know much. Nobody around here talks about the past much." He gave a slight smile.  
  
"He still gives me the creeps," I scooted closer to Specs on the windowsill. "He's been staring at me all night."  
  
"Aw, Dutchy's harmless. He's just not used to seein such a beautiful girl is all." He cheeks turned crimson in the candlelight and he turned away from me.  
  
Embarrassed, I turned to glance out the window at the city. Twilight had begun to fade into darkness, casting shadows onto the street. "Well, I suppose that I should be headed home."  
  
"You want me to walk you?" Specs asked quickly.  
  
"Nah, I think that I'll be fine. Goodnight."  
  
I had only gotten a few blocks when the darkness and strange noises of the city had me reconsidering Specs' offer. Determined to make it home, I continued, ignoring as many sounds as possible.  
  
That is until I heard a hoarse voice from the shadows behind me. "My, my, what have we here?"  
  
A pair of straggly teens stepped out from the alley. The shorter of the two began circling me, a twisted smirk on his face. "Don't know, Morris. Looks like da goirl that's been hangin around with Jack's newsies."  
  
"I think that you're right. Whatta ya say, toots? Ya wanna see what real newspaper men are like?"  
  
Exhausted by their cocky banter, I bypassed them and continued down the street. As I passed, I murmured, "I really couldn't care less."  
  
"Nobody talks to me like that, girlie," the taller one snapped, pulling me back to them by the arm. A momentary surge of pain shot down my arm as he clenched his fingers.  
  
"Let her go, Morris!" an angry voice called from behind us. Dutchy soon appeared, arms crossed, looking more intimidating than I could have imagined. "Come on, Delancy. Don't make me go get Jack and Spot."  
  
Morris's eyes widened. "Spot?"  
  
Dutchy nodded, causing Morris to release me and take off down the road, with Oscar close in toe.  
  
Ignoring them, I glared at Dutchy. "Are you following me?"  
  
"Gee, no thanks necessary for savin your neck!" he shot back.  
  
Rolling my eyes, I spun on my heal and headed home. A few seconds later, I started to hear footsteps following me. I stopped, and without turning asked, "Dutchy, why are you following me?"  
  
"Cause there are worse people out here than the Delancy brothers. You could get yourself hurt, or worse." He lengthened his stride to catch up to me.  
  
"I can take care of myself, you know."  
  
He chuckled. "Right. Like you did with Morris just now?"  
  
I grimaced, remembering the scene and thinking about what could be worse than getting hurt on the streets. "Alright, so maybe you're right."  
  
He cracked a smile, the first that I had seen cross his face since we met. I shot him a grin as we started down the street together.  
  
Before I knew it, we were standing on the front stoop of my house. "Thanks for getting me home safe, Dutchy."  
  
He just stood there, staring off into space.  
  
"Dutchy?"  
  
He snapped his head back to face me. "Huh?"  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
He nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Well, you're home safe. I'm gonna go back. Goodnight."  
  
He spoke so quickly that it took me a few seconds to process what he was saying. By the time that it all sank in, he had already dashed down the street.  
  
As soon as the door clicked closed behind me, Mrs. Paige called me into the kitchen.  
  
"This arrived for you this afternoon, dear." She handed me a sealed envelope with my name ornately written on the front.  
  
I opened the seal carefully and pulled out a sheet of letterhead that read Murphy and Sanders, Attorneys at Law. Scanning the letter's content, I felt my knees go weak. Sinking into the chair, I stared dumfounded at the blank wall in front of me.  
  
"What is it, dear?" Mrs. Paige asked through the fog in my head. I wordlessly handed her the letter.  
  
"Dear Miss Spencer," she read aloud. "We understand that this is a difficult time for you, but we ask that you join us at eight am on October 20th for the settlement of the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Spencer. We apologize for any inconvenience that this might cause."  
  
She folded the letter delicately and set it on the table beside me. "Awfully polite, aren't they. The 20th is tomorrow, Belinda."  
  
I nodded slightly. "I know."  
  
"Why don't you try to get some sleep, dear? Tomorrow will be a long day."  
  
I silently climbed the stairs, completely devoid of feeling. 


	6. five

I woke the next morning just in time to hear the big grandfather clock in the hall strike seven. After quickly preparing for the day, I dashed out the front door just in time to get to the law office by eight.  
  
Mr. Murphy welcomed me into the office, unfolding a few papers as he sat down. "We will make this as fast as we can, Miss Spencer. Your parent's wishes are quite simple. As their only heir, you are to inherit the entire estate, which includes all property and nearly $500,000 in savings, investments and other assets."  
  
My jaw dropped and I was at a total loss for words.  
  
"There is one additional stipulation," Mr. Sanders added from his seat beside his partner. "Following the fire at the Thatcher's home in 1894, your parents were named executors of their estate, until the time of Gabriel Thatcher's return."  
  
Still unable to form words, I simply nodded, signed a few papers and hade my way out onto the street.  
  
Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back against the building. Suddenly, I lost all control and the tears streamed down my cheeks.  
  
"Belinda? What's the matter?"  
  
I looked up to see a blurry group of newsies standing in front of me. I shook my head, in no mood to explain the situation.  
  
Specs put his arm protectively around my shoulders. "It's alright, beautiful; you don't have to say anything."  
  
They lead me to Tibby's and Specs offered me a chair beside him, ordering us both some food. While my tears silently continued to roll down my cheeks, he silently took my hand under the table.  
  
When my tears finally subsided, Specs leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Do you want me to walk you home?"  
  
I turned to the windows and looked out. "Thank you, but no. I need a little time to myself."  
  
He nodded and loosened his grip on my hand as I stood.  
  
"Thank you for lunch," I said with a smile before heading out the door.  
  
"What's goin on Belinda?"  
  
I spun around on the empty street to find myself face to face with Dutchy. I managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, really."  
  
"I don't buy it," he said quickly, crossing his arms.  
  
My smile faded and I turned away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Let's go for a little walk," he suggested, offering me his elbow.  
  
I gave him a skeptical look.  
  
"Oh, come on. I ain't gonna hurt you. We need to talk."  
  
We were almost to the battery before I finally broke the silence. "So what do you want to know?"  
  
"Let's start with why you were cryin."  
  
"I just came from the lawyer's office," I murmured.  
  
"What were you doin visitin a lawyer?" he asked, stopping to lean on the ledge overlooking the harbor.  
  
My eyes began to blur once more. "Settling my parent's will."  
  
For a long time, he said nothing, staring at me. I had begun to doubt that I had said the words aloud when he finally spoke. "What happened?"  
  
I took a deep breath as he led me to a nearby bench. "I used to attend school in London. My parents were coming to visit me when their ship collided with another." The tears began to flood over my cheeks, like a dam broke loose.  
  
Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry."  
  
I sat in Dutchy's arms for a long time, feeling safe and comfortable for the first time in months.  
  
Eventually, I sat up and wiped my eyes. "I should probably be headed home. I have some business to settle."  
  
"I'll walk you," he said, jumping up quickly.  
  
"You don't have to, really."  
  
"I know." He once again offered me his elbow. "I want to." He flashed a genuine smile as we headed uptown.  
  
"Well, here you are; home safe," he said lightly as we slowly walked up the front stoop.  
  
"Thank you for the escort, Dutchy."  
  
"No problem." He turned to go, but abruptly turned back around again. "What are you doing tomorrow, Belinda?"  
  
I shrugged. "Nothing that I know of."  
  
"Come spend the afternoon with us. We'll be done sellin around ten or so."  
  
I considered his offer for a moment. "That sounds like fun."  
  
"Well, I've got to get back," he said with a smile. "We'll pick you up here at ten."  
  
"Thank you again, Dutchy."  
  
His smile widened. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Belinda."  
  
Mrs. Paige and Edgar had the night off, so I sat in the empty kitchen, staring at the wall. Eventually, the events of the day made me weary, so I trudged up the stairs. Once I was safely in bed, thoughts of the past and the future began swimming around in my head. It took all the energy that I had to clear the thoughts from my hind so that I could get to sleep before midnight.  
  
The next thing that I knew, Mrs. Paige was standing over me. "It's nine o'clock, dear. Time to get up."  
  
Surprisingly rested, I sat up, stretching my arms. "Good morning."  
  
"What did the lawyers say, dear? If it is alright that I ask."  
  
"Of course it is alright," I replied. "Don't worry, there's plenty of money to get by."  
  
"Oh what a relief!" She clasped her hand to her heart. When she had calmed down once more, she continued, "What do you have planned for today, dear?"  
  
I smiled. "Spending the day with some newsies that I met."  
  
"Have you found Gabe yet?" she asked with a sideways glance.  
  
"How did you-"  
  
She tapped her temple and winked. "I have my ways."  
  
Once she left the room, I crossed to my closet and got dressed. Rather than pulling my honey-brown hair into a bun, I let it hang in loose curls around my shoulders.  
  
As soon as I finished dressing, Edgar called up the stairs. "Miss Belinda, your friends are here."  
  
"I will be right down!" 


	7. six

Then minutes later, I was trudging down the busy streets of New York with a huge multitude of newsies.  
  
"Where exactly are we going?" I asked Specs, who was walking in a trance beside me.  
  
Dutchy trotted up to us. "We're goin to see Spot."  
  
While the boys were enjoying the unusually warm October afternoon by swimming around in the Hudson, I sat at the end of the dock, soaking my feet in the water.  
  
Dutchy came and silently sat beside me.  
  
I smiled at him and then turned my attention back to the river. "I'm sorry about yesterday."  
  
"Don't be," he replied, resting his hand lightly on my forearm before he jumped up again. "Come on. Today is about havin fun."  
  
"Hey gorgeous," Spot called as I followed Dutchy up the docks, "come here. I'll teach ya ta shoot."  
  
I raised a skeptical eyebrow, but joined him on the shore anyway. He handed me a slingshot and a marble. "Alright, ya see dat bottle down there?"  
  
I scanned the dock until I found the bottle that Spot was indicating. And nodded, taking aim.  
  
"Pull it back farther. Ya ain't got no power that way," Spot commanded.  
  
I did as I was told and expertly released the marble. Unfortunately, I had overestimated my talents. Instead of shattering the bottle, the marble soared right into a group of newsies gambling nearby.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
I smiled sweetly at Race as he glared at me.  
  
"Ah, sweety," Spot spoke up behind me.  
  
I turned toward him with a carefree smile. "Yeah?"  
  
"Ya might want ta run."  
  
He took the slingshot from my hand just as I was lifted from behind. Before I knew what was happening, Dutchy threw me over his shoulder and was on his way to the edge of the dock.  
  
"Traitor!" I screamed, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.  
  
Race walked beside him. "Payback time, beautiful."  
  
"Dutchy," I scolded. "Put me down!"  
  
"Alright." He shrugged and threw me into the river.  
  
A few minutes later, after a few kind Brooklyn newsies helped me out of the water, I lay on the dock, drying in the sun.  
  
Someone stepped into my sunlight, casting a shadow onto my face. I squinted up to see Specs staring down at me.  
  
"What happened to you?"  
  
I frowned playfully. "Dutchy threw me in the water."  
  
He chuckled and sat beside me. "What did you do to deserve that?"  
  
"Who says that I did anything?" He shot me a questioning look "Ok, so I hit somebody with a marble. But it was not my fault; Spot put me up to it. It's not my fault that I can't shoot."  
  
He just laughed at me, picking at a splinter in the dock.  
  
"Come on boys, time to head back!"  
  
At Jack's command, Specs stood and offered me his hand. After he helped me up, he made no move to release my hand. It felt so comfortable that I made no argument.  
  
When we got into Tibby's for dinner, Dutchy approached us, a broad smile on his face.  
  
"I'm not talking to you," I mumbled in mock anger.  
  
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me toward a table with Jack and Race. "Aw, come on. No hard feelings Belinda."  
  
Suddenly, my hand felt cool and I realized that Specs was no longer beside me. Instead, he sat alone at a table in the corner, staring out at the street. I tried to go over to him, but Race and Jack were deep into a story and weren't about to let me get away. As the night wore on, I became increasingly aware of Specs sitting in somber silence. When it came time for me to go home, I made my way across the diner to him.  
  
"Care to walk a girl home?" I asked quietly, standing over his shoulder.  
  
He jumped slightly, but nodded and grabbed his jacket.  
  
After a few minutes of walking, the silence was driving me crazy. "You're awfully quiet tonight."  
  
He shrugged, studying the cobblestones as they passed below his feet.  
  
"Ok, that's it! Come on." I grabbed his hand and dragged him down an adjacent street.  
  
"Belinda," he groaned. "This isn't the way to your house."  
  
"I know."  
  
He dragged his feet. "So then where are you taking me?"  
  
I shot him a playful grin and tightened my grip on his hand. "You'll just have to trust me." 


	8. seven

"Belinda, what are we doin here?"  
  
Sitting down in the middle of the open field, I motioned for him to join me. "I want to show you something."  
  
"It's awful late." He sat reluctantly, looking suspiciously over his shoulder. "The park ain't safe for a girl like you at this time of night."  
  
"That's why I have you," I teased.  
  
He cracked a sweet slight smile.  
  
I motioned with my eyes up toward the sky. "Look."  
  
"There's so many of them," he mumbled, studying the stars.  
  
"See those three together over there?" I pointed to the east. "That's Orion's belt. Orion the hunter."  
  
"That doesn't look like a hunter."  
  
I laughed lightly. "You're supposed to use your imagination, Specs."  
  
"I am," he replied, "but I still don't see a hunter in that."  
  
"Alright then, how about this?" Scooting closer to him, I took his hand and pointed it toward the sky, resting my head on his shoulder so that I shared his line of sight.Tracing along the stars, I continued, "That is the big dipper. And if you follow these two stars straight up, you find the North Star. Its constant; the only star in the sky that doesn't move. Sailors used to use it to direct themselves across the ocean."  
  
"Now that makes sense." He turned his head, smiling.  
  
With my head on his shoulder, our faces were only inches apart, a fact which we both seemed to realize at the same moment. Suddenly embarrassed by the situation, I began to pull back, turning my face back up to the sky. I felt his hand lightly grasp mine and he shifted so that he was beside me, in much the same position that I had been in before.  
  
"Show me more," he whispered, breaking the silence that had fallen between us.  
  
Surprised, I turned my head to face him. A playful smirk crossed his lips as he motioned to the sky with his eyes. Smiling, I continued to point out the constellations.  
  
Somewhere in the distance, a clock tower chimed once. We waited for another, but it never came.  
  
"I should get you home." Specs stood, pulling me up beside him.  
  
We walked home hand in hand, a situation we found ourselves in quite often. I made no complaints. The feeling of Specs's strong hand enclosing mine was strangely comforting.  
  
When we reached my front door, he gave my hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. "Thank you for tonight. I needed that."  
  
I smiled shyly. "Goodnight Specs."  
  
He gently pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear. "Goodnight."  
  
Pulling back quickly, he turned an vanished down the dark street.  
  
My head still reeling from the events in the park, I quietly made my way up the stairs on weak knees. After nearly an hour of lying awake in bed, I gave up and moved to the window. Pulling back the curtains, I glanced down at the street. The faint glow cascading down from the streetlamps created small circles of light in the midst of the blackness of the night.  
  
Everything looked as calm and peaceful as I'd imagined it would have. That is until I saw it: a shimmer of light lasting only a split second. I concentrated on the area of shadows where the light had come from. A familiar newsie became visible through the darkness.  
  
"Dutchy?"  
  
I quickly dressed and quietly trotted down the stairs. As soon as I closed the front door behind me, I regretted leaving my shawl upstairs. Wrapping my arms tightly around my waist, I made my way across the street.  
  
I stopped a few feet away from where Dutchy was standing, numbly staring off into space. Suddenly he turned his head and I could see his cheeks glisten in the lamplight.  
  
"Dutchy?" I called in a whisper, surprised at how loud it seemed in the silent street. "What are you doing here?"  
  
He quickly wiped his eyes and turned away. "Nothing."  
  
A wince pulled at the corner of my mouth when I heard his voice. Acting without thought, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "Please, tell me what's wrong."  
  
"I can't." He shrugged away from me.  
  
I grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to face me. His eyes met mine, the blue there rimmed with red from crying. "Yes, you can."  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he replied, leaning against the building behind him.  
  
"Try me."  
  
He let out a sigh. "Give it up, Bel. Please."  
  
"Don't call me that," I snapped, then realized that he meant no harm. "I'm sorry. It's just. Only one person ever called me that and -"  
  
"I know," he interrupted in a hoarse whisper. 


	9. eight

"What?" Suddenly it all made sense: the golden blond hair, the bright blue eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"You just show up here, out of nowhere. What did you expect me to do, Bel, give up the life that I've known for the last six years; come back here as if nothing had happened?"  
  
"It is where you belong, Gabe."  
  
"Not anymore," he replied softly. "I belong with the newsies. They are my family now; my only family."  
  
A lump rose in my throat. "So where does that leave me?"  
  
"I want you as a part of my life, Bel, but you have to understand that I have changed."  
  
"As have I," I choked out.  
  
"I know," he murmured in a husky whisper.  
  
He took a few steps closer to me, and before I had time to react, he had wrapped his arms around my waist. As he began to lean his face toward mine, a strange feeling took root in the pit of my stomach.  
  
I quickly pulled out of his arms. "Please, don't."  
  
He took a staggering step back.  
  
"This isn't why I came to find you, Gabe."  
  
He stared blankly at me. "But I thought-"  
  
"You are the best friend that I have ever known, and for that I love you, just not."  
  
He nodded. "Just not that way. I get it."  
  
"I am sorry."  
  
He smiled and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, hugging me tightly. "Don't be."  
  
The tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally spilled down my cheeks, leaving moist spots on Gabe's shirt. When my voice was finally steady enough to speak, I murmured into his shoulder. "Promise me something?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Promise me that you won't disappear again."  
  
He laughed slightly and pulled me closer. "I swear."  
  
We stood in the dark street for a few more minutes, enjoying the comfort of his arms.  
  
"I should get goin. The boys'll be gettin worried." He backed away, dropping a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight Bel."  
  
When I entered the lodging house the next afternoon, it was unusually quiet. As I made my way toward the front desk, I could hear hushed voices. I peered around the corner, finding Boots, Snipe and Kloppman huddled around the desk.  
  
"Is that right, Kloppman?" Boots asked, passing a sheet of paper across the worn wood surface. Kloppman pointed out a few errors and passed it back.  
  
Suddenly, a realization washed over me. For the first time in years, my future seemed clear. I silently backed out of the lodging house, darting back to my house.  
  
"Mrs. Paige!" I called into the empty house. "Mrs. Paige!"  
  
The old woman sprinted into the foyer. "What is it child? What's wrong?"  
  
I smiled broadly at her. "I am going to start a school."  
  
Her eyes widened and she stared at me in disbelief. "What brought this on?"  
  
"You see," I started, talking a mile a minute. "As you know I have been spending a great deal of time with the newsies, and today I went to the lodging house, and the younger newsies can not read and write well. So it got me thinking how much good I could do. I am going to start a school for kids who can't afford to attend any other way. Here. We have more than enough room."  
  
She nodded, waiting patiently until I was finished. "Well, good for you, dear."  
  
"That's it? You're not going to try to talk me out of it?"  
  
"And why would I do such a thing? It sounds wonderful, dear." She smiled sweetly. "Shall we start making some arrangements?"  
  
We spent the rest of the day sitting around the kitchen table, going over the record books and planning lessons. When the doorbell rang, we both jumped.  
  
I got up and quickly moved to the door. As I opened it, a brisk gust of wind swept through the hallway.  
  
"Heya, beautiful, how's it rollin?" Jack stood before me, eyes dancing.  
  
"Wonderful!" I replied, smiling brightly.  
  
"We're havin a poker game tonight. All the newsies in the city are comin. Da boys wanted me to come and invite ya. So, ya wanna come?"  
  
"Sure," I replied, grabbing a shawl before following him down the street. It was only then that I realized that it had grown dark outside.  
  
I could barely believe the intensity of the noise that hit me as we walked into the lodging house. The usual multitude of newsies had tripled. Between the sheer number of people and the addition of a few tables, the bunkroom had turned into a frenzy.  
  
I quickly scanned the room, finding Gabe huddled in the corner with Race and Skittery. I watched from a safe distance as the trio laughed and joked, completely high spirited. I couldn't help smiling as they playfully punched each other.  
  
Moving out of the doorway to make room for even more newsies who were entering the room, I spotted Specs sitting a few feet away, staring out the window. I squeezed through the group of chatting newsies that separated us. When I got close enough, I noticed the same devoid expression that was on his face the night before.  
  
"Hey, why the sad face? This is supposed to be your party."  
  
Before Specs could answer, a very energetic Gabriel came tearing across the room. "Bel! You made it!"  
  
He pulled me into a quick hug, kissing my forehead. I lightly hugged him back, not taking my eyes off of Specs. His face contorted into a scowl and he climbed out the window, letting it slam behind him.  
  
"What was that all about?" Dutchy asked, turning to the window.  
  
I cursed under my breath when I realized how the embrace must have looked to Specs. Biting my lip, I stared at the closed window.  
  
Gabe studied my face for a moment and then smiled. "He's a lucky guy."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Give me a little credit, Bel," he said with a slight smile. "I'm not blind."  
  
I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks, and I concentrated my gaze on the floor.  
  
Gabe lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Let me go talk to him." Resting a hand on my shoulder, he pushed passed me and ducked out the window. 


	10. nine

Things in the bunkhouse had quieted down as the boys situated themselves around tables to start poker games. When nearly five minutes had passed without either Specs or Gabe returning, I got curious and headed out the window. Hearing muffled voices from the rooftop, I climbed up the fire escape.  
  
A few Brooklyn newsies stood near the ladder, quietly smoking their cigarettes. They eyed me curiously as I walked passed them toward the corner where I spotted Specs and Gabe.  
  
"Aw, come on, Dutchy." Specs threw his hands in the air, turning his back. "I saw the two of you last night. How can you stand there and tell me that nothin is goin on?"  
  
"Because it's not, Specs. I wouldn't lie to you."  
  
Specs shook his head and walked away from Gabe, headed toward me. When he saw me, he brushed right passed. "I hope that the two of you are happy."  
  
I reached for his hand as he passed, but he yanked it away.  
  
"Specs," I called after him, only to be ignored. I glanced back at Gabe, desperate to find a way to convince Specs to listen.  
  
Gabe nodded and visibly took a breath. "I'm the one that she's been lookin for, Specs."  
  
Specs froze, his back to us. "What?"  
  
"Gabriel Thatcher? Yeah, that's me!"  
  
Specs turned and locked eyes with me, questioning Gabe's statement. All I could do was silently nod.  
  
Suddenly, he seemed to notice the other newsies scattered around the roof. Specs came back with in earshot of myself and Gabe. "So you two aren't."  
  
Gabe laughed lightly, shaking his head. "Nah, she seems to be partial to someone else."  
  
He winked at me with a smile and headed for the fire escape, patting Specs on the shoulder as he passed.  
  
Specs watched him disappear over the side of the building before turning back to face me. "So you found your friend."  
  
I nodded, still unsure how to read Specs' reaction.  
  
He took a few steps closer. "So, is that it? Are you gonna leave us?"  
  
I shook my head. He took a deep breath and closed the rest of the distance between us.  
  
"Good." He slowly raised his hand and ran a finger over my cheek. When he leaned forward, he covered my lips with his. When I finally registered what was happening, I moved my hands to the short hair at the back of his neck. Wrapping his arms tighter around my waist, he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss.  
  
Unfortunately, the other newsies on the rooftop took notice of us and began cheering. Embarrassed, I broke the kiss and rested my head against his chest.  
  
I could feel him chuckle a bit. "Sorry. This isn't how I wanted this to happen."  
  
Laughing slightly, I lifted my head. With a shrug, I gently leaned up and brushed my lips over his. "Come on. Teach me how to play poker."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at me, a crooked grin on his face. "You sure about that?"  
  
Taking his hand, I pulled him toward the fire escape. The Brooklyn newsies watched us curiously before returning to their cigarettes.  
  
"Hey there, beautiful," Race called as we approached the table where Jack, Spot, Race and a few other newsies were playing. "You gonna try your hand a poker?"  
  
Specs pulled out the empty chair beside Jack for me and then knelt beside me.  
  
"Beginner's luck, that's gotta be it," Race exclaimed, throwing down his cards as I collected the winnings from the third hand.  
  
Everyone laughed as Jack began to collect the cards. "That's it. No more help for her, Specs."  
  
Organizing my money and sticking it into my pocket, I stood. "If you boys will excuse me, I am going to get some air."  
  
Specs stood beside me.  
  
"It's ok," I whispered to him. "Stay here and have fun."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
I nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be on the roof."  
  
Leaning against the ledge and staring out at the city, I breathed in the cool night air. After a few minutes, I heard someone approaching behind me. Gabe soon appeared, leaning on the ledge beside me.  
  
I glanced over, smiling before turning my attention back to the buildings in front of me. "I just realized how much I missed this city."  
  
"It's good to have you back, Bel."  
  
We stood in silence for a few minutes, both lost in our own thoughts. Eventually he turned, leaning his back against the ledge. "So what are you going to do now?"  
  
I smiled slightly. "I am going to start a free school."  
  
He watched a few of the younger newsies fencing with wooden swords on the other side of the roof. "You'll have plenty of business from around here."  
  
I nodded. "What about you, Gabe? Are you going to be a newsie forever?"  
  
"As long as I can," he replied solemnly.  
  
"And after that?"  
  
He shrugged. "I guess that I'll worry about that when the time comes."  
  
After a few moments of silence, he pushed off the wall. "I think that I'm gonna head back in. You commin?"  
  
I took a deep breath of the autumn air. "I think that I'll stay out here for a few more minutes."  
  
"Suit yourself." He gave me a kiss on the forehead before taking a few steps toward the ladder.  
  
"Gabe?"  
  
He turned back to face me. "Yeah."  
  
"What about the money?"  
  
He quickly scanned the roof. The younger newsies had moved indoors, so we were alone. "I don't want anything to do with that money."  
  
"You can't just-"  
  
"Take it," he cut me off quickly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Take it," he repeated. "Use it for your school."  
  
He slipped over the side of the building and down the fire escape. After a few minutes, I followed him into the bunkroom.  
  
Specs smiled brightly when he noticed that I had reentered the room. His smile got wider as he made his way through the crowd toward me. Resting his hand on the small of my back, he leaned his face close to mine. "Come on."  
  
I furrowed my brow at him. "What?"  
  
"Let's get out of here."  
  
I smiled. "What about the game?"  
  
He leaned closer, so that he lips were only inches from mine. "I'd rather be with you."  
  
He grabbed my hand and led me toward the door.  
  
"I thought that the park was too dangerous at this time of night," I teased as we made our way toward one of the open fields in the Central Park.  
  
"It is," he affirmed, smiling playfully, "but I'm willing to risk it."  
  
"Is that so?" I walked slowly into his arms, pulling him into a passionate kiss. His lips were still cool from the autumn air their contact sending chills down my spine. His arms came around my waist, pulling tight against his body.  
  
When my head began to spin, I pulled away slightly, turning in his arms. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my collar bone. "I love you, Bel."  
  
I turned my head, giving him a quick kiss before leaning back into his chest happily. 


	11. ten

"Alright, no more snowball fights, boys," I called out the window. "You're already late."  
  
I put another log on the fire, warming the room from the unusually cold February air.  
  
"Sorry we'se late Miss Spencer," Comet, a curious seven year old newsie, explained. "The headlines weren't no good."  
  
"Any good," I corrected, trying to hold back a smile. "And I am sorry to hear that, Comet."  
  
"Miss Spencer?" A very shy newsie stepped forward.  
  
I smiled down at him. He was younger than most of the others that I taught, but even at five years, he devoured any book that he could get his hands on. "Yes, Steamer?"  
  
"Can we read this?" he handed me a tattered book.  
  
"Great Expectations?" I flipped through the book absently, knowing full well who it belonged to. "Steamer, where did you find this?"  
  
"On Specs' bed," he replied softly.  
  
"Does he know that you have it?"  
  
The small boy shook his head solemnly.  
  
I smiled down at him. "I think that this might be a little too difficult for you, sweety. How about I trade you."  
  
I handed him a nursery rhyme book off the top of a stack. Steamer smiled broadly and carried the book to one of the small desks in the parlor. The other boys followed in suit. I grabbed a copy for myself and sat in front of them, placing Specs' book on the coffee table.  
  
"Comet, would you start for us?"  
  
"And they all lived happily ev. ev."  
  
"Sound it out, Steamer," I suggested.  
  
"E.v.e.r. Ever?" He looked up at me hopefully. I nodded and he continued. "And they all lived happily ever after. The end."  
  
"Very good, boys," I said, closing my book. "What did you think?"  
  
"It's kid's stuff!" Comet exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement. "Where's all the blood and gore. Can't we read something else?"  
  
I shook my head, grinning. The boys had been reading too many headlines, but who was I to deny their literary desires. "I suppose. How about this?"  
  
I held up a book and the boys stared at it in awe.  
  
"What is it?" Steamer asked quietly.  
  
"A new book; filled with cowboys and Indians, and even a few outlaws." I glanced up at them, noticing movement in the doorway. Gabe, Specs and a few other newsies smiled back at me before I returned my attention to the boys. "How does that sound?"  
  
The boys cheered, all of the speaking at once.  
  
"Alright," I called over the incoherent babble. "We're done for the night. See you boys tomorrow."  
  
As they started to file out of the room, the young boys noticed the older newsies.  
  
"Hiya boys," Race called, patting a few of them on the head as they passed. "You go right back to the Lodging house, ya hear? Jack's got dinner waitin for ya."  
  
The boys nodded and started out the door. Steamer lagged behind, walking up to Specs. "Did you hear, Specs? We get to read about cowboys."  
  
Specs smiled widely, picking the young boy up. He removed his hat and placed it on Steamer's head. "I heard. That should be fun, huh?"  
  
Steamer nodded, the hat flopping wildly.  
  
"Steamer, come on!" Comet called from the snowy porch.  
  
Specs quickly set the young boy down. Halfway out the door, he realized that he was still wearing Specs' hat. He handed it to Specs, who took the hat and tussled the boy's hair.  
  
"Hurry up, Steamer!" Comet called again.  
  
Steamer flashed us a smile before vanishing into the street with the others.  
  
I went back into the parlor, straightening the books. The others followed, finding seats on the couches that lined the walls of the room.  
  
"Cute kid," Race commented as he sat between Specs and Skittery.  
  
Specs nodded. "Smart as a whip too."  
  
"They all are," I replied, taking a seat on the surface of the large desk at the front of the room. "They seem to be doing well, considering."  
  
"They're young." A frown pulled at Race's face as the words left his mouth.  
  
"How is Jack?" I asked hoarsely.  
  
"He doesn't talk much," Specs said quietly. "But he's been doing a good job of takin care of the boys."  
  
There was a falter in his voice as he finished his sentence. I reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. Scanning the group that sat around the room, my heart sank. In the months prior, the spirits of the newsies had been deflated. In early December, they lost Kloppman to pneumonia. While the younger newsies seemed to be coping well, I could tell that it was breaking the other's resolve. Jack had taken up the task of replacing Kloppman at the lodging house, truly finding his knack taking care of the boys.  
  
"Well, shall we get started?" I quickly changed the subject, trying to lighten the mood. I pulled out my copy of Macbeth. "What did you think?"  
  
I looked around at them as they discussed the play. This was my favorite part of the day. My time with the young newsies was very enjoyable, but the young men that sat around me now were my friends and confidants since my return to New York. They were my family now, just as Gabe had told me months earlier.  
  
I smiled genuinely as the others continued their discussion, offering my opinion when the occasion called for it.  
  
The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed then o'clock, and the boys began to file out.  
  
"Thanks for this, Bel," Gabe said as I followed him to the door. "It means a lot to these boys."  
  
"I'm glad to do it," I replied, watching the others walking down the street.  
  
"I think that I am ready to stop being a newsie, Bel."  
  
He said it so quietly that I was unsure if I had heard his correctly. I turned, wide eyed to face him. He nodded, confirming my suspicions.  
  
This announcement wasn't unexpected. Many of the older newsies had scattered to the winds not long after Kloppman's funeral. Most of them went to work in the factories or headed out west in search of new adventures.  
  
"Things are getting pretty busy around here. I could use and extra teacher," I offered.  
  
He smiled. "Thanks, but Denton beat you to it. He's offered me a job working with David in his office."  
  
I nodded and walked over to the small cabinet that sat near the door, pulling an envelope from the drawer.  
  
As I handed it to him, he gave me a confused look. "What's this?"  
  
"Something that should have been given to you years ago."  
  
He quickly scanned the paper inside the envelope before handing it back to me. "I told you that I don't want the money, Belinda. I want to start over on my own."  
  
"OK." I nodded and pulled him into a hug. "I'm here if you need me."  
  
I could fell him nod. "I'll be fine."  
  
He quickly said goodnight and slipped out into the cold night. I closed the door behind him before returning the envelope to the drawer. When I looked up, I noticed Specs leaning on the doorframe between the parlor and the foyer.  
  
Taking his hand, I lead him back toward one of the couches. He sat down beside me, wrapping his arm around me silently. With his free hand, he set a box on my lap.  
  
"What's this?" I asked, inspecting the box.  
  
He shrugged. "Open it."  
  
I did as he instructed, finding inside a simple diamond ring resting on a velvet pad.  
  
"It's not as nice as I would have liked," he said, leaning on my shoulder.  
  
"Is this what I think it is?"  
  
"Dutchy and I made a deal when we became newsies. We start together and we leave together." My eyes widened in disbelief, but he went on. "Things have changed around here in the last few months. It's time for me to move on and make a new life for myself."  
  
I nodded, still shocked slightly.  
  
"I want you to be a part of that life," he continued. "Belinda, will you marry me?"  
  
A broad smile curled my lips and my eyes began to water.  
  
He chuckled at my reaction. "Is that a yes?"  
  
I nodded and he lifted the ring from the box on my lap, sliding it onto my finger. He leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss over my lips.  
  
"Does the job offer still stand?" He asked as he pulled away.  
  
I looked at him confused for a moment. "What?"  
  
"The teaching position, is it still open?"  
  
I cracked a smile, leaning against his chest. "I suppose."  
  
He wrapped his arms around me, holding me lightly against his chest. "Good." 


	12. eleven

After a few minutes, I sat up in his arms. "You know what this means, right?"  
  
"What's that?" he shot me a questioning glance.  
  
"You're going to have to tell me your real name."  
  
Specs' face reddened. For months I had been trying to convince him to confide his name in me. I had finally trapped him.  
  
"Come on, Bel, do I have to?"  
  
"If you don't, you don't get this back." I reached over to the nearby table and picked up the book that Steamer brought.  
  
Specs reached for it. "How did you get that?"  
  
"Oh, no." I pulled it out of his reach and shot him a glare. "You're not getting out of it that easily."  
  
He looked down at his lap and murmured something incoherent.  
  
"What was that?" I lifted his chin with a smirk on my face.  
  
"Ben Cooper," he said, not much louder than before, but this time I could understand him. "Can I have my book back now?"  
  
I handed the book to him and leaned back on his chest. "Was that so hard?"  
  
He shrugged off my teasing. "Where did you get this?"  
  
"Steamer," I replied, smiling slightly. "He wanted to read it today."  
  
"Great Expectations? Ambitious kid."  
  
"He's a great kid," I commented. Specs nodded as I turned to face him again. "So, I'm been thinking-"  
  
"Uh oh," he teased. "That's never a good sign."  
  
I hit him playfully. "Come on, I am trying to be serious here."  
  
"Sorry." He wiped the smile off of his face. "Continue."  
  
"I've been thinking about taking Steamer in."  
  
He stared at me in confusion. "What? Why?"  
  
"He has too much potential to waste his life." I stopped short, shocked at the words that were coming out of my mouth.  
  
"To waste his life doin what, Belinda? Being a Newsie?"  
  
I frowned at his reaction. "That's not what I meant."  
  
"So what did you mean, Bel? Cause that's sure what it sounds like," he shot back.  
  
I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure. "He is trying to read Dickens at five, Specs. Are you trying to tell me that he'd be better off spending his life selling newspapers?"  
  
"And why not?" he countered. "What's so horrible about being a newsie?" He pulled away from me, creating a few feet of distance between us.  
  
A queasy feeling settled in my stomach as he backed away, but I said nothing, unsure of how to react.  
  
"I was raised a newsie and I turned out just fine. Bein a newsie didn't ruin Gabe. What makes you think that you need to save this boy?" Anger began to cloud over Specs' eyes. He stood and started for the door.  
  
I quickly followed him. "I just want to help."  
  
"Don't you get it, Bel? We're just fine on our own. We don't need to be saved!" Before I could respond, he grabbed his jacket and took off down the street, slamming the door behind him. Sadly I moved back to the parlor, picking up the book that Specs had forgotten in his hurry.  
  
"All I wanted to do was help," I murmured as my eyes began to water. I removed the engagement ring from my finger, returning it to the box on the table.  
  
I heard footsteps on the stairs and Mrs. Paige soon appeared in the doorway. "What was all that ruckus?"  
  
"Specs," I answered quietly. Overwhelmed, I started for the stairs. I heard Mrs. Paige open the ring box, but just continued up the stairs, unwilling to discuss things further.  
  
It was nearly 2am and I still lay awake in bed. Specs' comments swam around in my head unceasingly. When the clock chimed two, I threw off the covers in frustration. Quietly, I sneaked down the stairs to find the ring box still sitting on the table. I carried it up to my room and set the box on the nightstand. Removing the ring, I slid it slowly onto my finger again. I moved to the window staring out at the snow that had begun to fall in huge flakes.  
  
The next morning, I woke with a start, shocked to find myself still seated at the window. When I moved my head, pain shot through my neck.  
  
"That was not a good idea." I moaned lightly as I pulled on my robe.  
  
"Good morning, dear," Mrs. Paige called when I emerged from the stairwell. She smiled when she saw me rubbing my neck. "What on earth happened to you?"  
  
I cringed and took the tea cup that she offered me. "I fell asleep by the window."  
  
"Usually not the best of ideas."  
  
I sighed. "Believe me, I know."  
  
As I moved a stray hair behind my ear, her eyebrows raised. She motioned to the ring. "Do you want to talk about last night?"  
  
I frowned. "Not particularly."  
  
"Alright," she said, reaching for her cloak. "I am off to do some shopping."  
  
"Mrs. Paige, no," I started quickly as she walked out the door. I sighed before I finished my sentence. "I'd rather not be alone."  
  
With a groan, I cleared the table and headed up the stairs to ready myself for the day. By the time that I dressed and cleaned the parlor, readying it for that afternoon's classes, I was optimistic that I had successfully wasted away much of the day. I looked up at the clock and my heart sank when I saw that it was only eleven. The boys did not arrive until 4 o'clock, which left me nearly five hours to mull over my argument with Specs.  
  
I cringed as I remembered the hurt in his voice as he spoke to me the night before. Running a hand through my hair, I searched desperately for something to distract me. Staring around at the empty house, I finally gave up. Grabbing my cloak, I slipped out the door onto the snow-covered street.  
  
After a few minutes of walking through the slush, I heard someone call my name. A few yards in front of me on the sidewalk, Comet stood on the corner, peddling his papers.  
  
"Good morning, Comet," I said as I walked up to him, forcing a smile onto my face.  
  
He nodded and tipped his hat. "What are you doin out in da cold?"  
  
"I'm looking for Dutchy. Have you seen him?"  
  
"I think that he and Skitts are sellin somewhere in da park," Comet replied, quickly stopping a man to sell him a paper.  
  
Catching Comet's attention, I nodded in thanks and started off toward Central Park. 


	13. twelve

I could hear Skittery and Gabe calling out headlines long before I could see them. They stood on a cleared path, selling their papers to the people that passed by. I slipped into the crowd, moving toward them inconspicuously.  
  
"Buy a pape, Miss?" Gabe asked, absently without looking at me. When I didn't answer, he turned his head to me. "Bel. Well good morning, beautiful."  
  
I smiled sadly. "I need to speak with you."  
  
He nodded, his features visibly changing at the tone of my voice. "Sure, just let me sell my last pape."  
  
He quickly found a customer and said goodbye to Skittery before leading me through the crowd. We took up residence at the counter of a small cafe just outside the park. While we waited for our tea, Gabe sat in silence, warming himself over the nearby iron stove.  
  
"Have you talked to Specs?" I asked quietly. Before he could respond, the waiter brought us our tea. I thanked him before turning to Gabe for an answer.  
  
"What happened last night, Bel?" he finally asked, taking a cautious sip of tea.  
  
"I'm not sure," I started, concentrating on the steam that rose from the cup before me. "One minute, we were engaged, the next, he was storming out the door."  
  
"What were you talking about?"  
  
I took a sip. "Steamer."  
  
"Steamer?" He furrowed his brow. "What about him?"  
  
"I want to take him in; to give him the benefits of life that he would never get being a newsie."  
  
Gabe groaned. "You didn't actually say that did you?"  
  
I nodded and he just sighed. "Oh Bel, you still don't get it."  
  
"Get what?" I asked, confused by his implications.  
  
"Honor , Belinda."  
  
"Honor?" I was growing more confused by the moment.  
  
"Newsies are proud of the life that they lead. There is honor in waking ever morning, earning a day's wages from a day's work. There is no one who can take that honor away. It is something that a person of your upbringing can't possibly understand."  
  
I but my lip, slightly hurt. "Gabe, he is the brightest child that I have come across in my life. I lack the ability to give him the kind of education that someone with his intellect deserves. I should think that there is honor in giving a child ever opportunity possible."  
  
Gabe sat silently as I spoke, nodding occasionally. "Did you explain that to Specs?"  
  
"I tried," I mumbled with a frown. "He walked out."  
  
"So try again." He winked and pushed me toward the door. "He should be in the lodging house."  
  
I tried to protest, but he threw my cloak around my shoulders and pushed me closer to the door. "And this time, don't let him leave."  
  
Once I was outside, I seriously considered turning back toward home, but somehow my feet had a mind of their own, carrying me down Duane Street. When I walked through the door, every set of eyes in the room turned to me. Most of the boys in the room, my students, greeted me excitedly. My attention, however, was drawn to the corner of the room where Specs sat eyeing me curiously. Before I could say a word, he stood, knocking over his chair, and trudged silently up to the bunkroom.  
  
Jack, who stood behind the desk, motioning up the stairs with his eyes. I nodded and started after Specs.  
  
"You boys stay down here," Jack commanded. "Let Specs and Miss Spencer talk."  
  
I turned back and smiled at Jack who nodded and winked as I disappeared down the hall.  
  
I barely opened the door to the bunkroom before Specs spoke. "Go away, Belinda."  
  
"Sorry," I replied firmly, taking a few tentative steps. "I can't do that."  
  
"Look, I really don't feel like getting into it this again." He dropped onto his bed and began absently straightening the books on his nightstand.  
  
Ignoring his cold tone, I moved further into the room. "I need you to understand something."  
  
"What?" he asked offhandedly.  
  
"I see nothing wrong with being a newsie, Specs," I began softly. "I never have. It's just that one day these boys aren't going to be able to sell newspapers anymore. And when that day comes, they are going to need to know how to read and write. I'm sorry, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something to help them."  
  
Specs stopped moving, but said nothing.  
  
"I haven't changed my mind about Steamer. He is a bright kid, and I think that he deserves every chance that he can get. But he deserves a better education than I can provide for him while he is working as a newsie, and I will do anything in my power to help him."  
  
He still had no reaction to me. I could feel tears beginning to well up in the corners of my eyes. Refusing to lose control, I took a staggering breath. With a shaky hand, I removed the ring from my left hand and set in on the nightstand beside him. "I'm sorry."  
  
As soon as my back was turned, the tears fell freely down my cheeks. Slowly, I started for the door, unwilling to turn back to see Specs reaction.  
  
"Bel, wait."  
  
I stopped in my tracks, unsure if I had actually heard Specs or if it was wishful thinking on my part.  
  
"Please."  
  
The second time, I was sure that he had spoken. Slowly, I turned, unsure how to react. Specs had not moved from his bunk, but he had picked up the ring and spun it on his finger. When he realized that I was facing him, he stood and walked toward me.  
  
"Don't be sorry," he said softly, the cold tone absent from his voice. "I am the one who should be apologizing. I overreacted. It is an honorable thing, what you are doing for these boys."  
  
A small smile pulled at the corners of my lips. "Honor? So you did talk to Gabe."  
  
Specs shrugged, a broad smile creeping across his face. He took a few steps closer until he was only a foot away. With a devilish grin, he took my hand and kneeled before me.  
  
"Specs, what are you doing?" I asked, my eyes widening.  
  
He held the ring in his free hand. "Doing this the right way. Belinda, will you marry me?"  
  
I smiled and nodded as he slid the ring onto my finger. He quickly stood and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. "And don't try to give it back this time, huh?"  
  
I pulled back with a teasing grin. "Don't do anything to make me."  
  
"You've got yourself a deal." He leaned forward, covering my lips with his gently.  
  
The kiss was broken when we heard a noise in the hall behind the closed door.  
  
Specs raised his eyebrows and walked over to the door. Opening it, he found Jack and the boys crowded by the keyhole, all trying to look innocent.  
  
"Busted," Specs teased as Jack led the boys into the room.  
  
Jack ignored Specs' comment, holding out a hand. "I hear that congratulations are in order."  
  
The boys looked between the three of us as Jack and Specs talked. Steamer moved toward me and pulled at my hand. "What is going on, Miss Spencer?"  
  
"Well kid," Specs answered. "Miss Spencer and I are getting married. What do you think about that?"  
  
Steamer smiled brightly, but his confusion soon returned. "Will you be Mr. Spencer?"  
  
Jack, Specs and I cracked up. I smiled down at Specs. "Well that is an idea."  
  
He narrowed his eyes at me, standing up. "Oh, ya think so huh?"  
  
I shrugged and he wrapped his arms around me, leaning in for another kiss. Jack cleared his throat beside us. We jumped apart and smiled as Jack began to usher the boys out of the room.  
  
"Steamer," Specs called. "Can you wait a minute?"  
  
The young boy returned to face us. "Whattya need, Specs?"  
  
"We gotta ask you something, kid," Specs began, lifting the boy onto a nearby bunk so that they were eye to eye. "What would you think about coming to live with me and Miss Spencer?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Steamer asked, obviously confused.  
  
Specs took a deep breath, flashing me a smile before he continued. "You are a smart kid, Steamer. We want you to some live with us and go to a proper school."  
  
"Like a family?" Steamer asked quietly.  
  
I nodded. "If that is what you want."  
  
An excited Steamer threw his arms around Specs' neck.  
  
"I think that was a yes," Specs said with a smile, pulling me into the hug with his other arm.  
  
The three of us headed downstairs. All of the newsies had returned from selling and were congregated in the lobby. Jack sat on the stairs, blocking the only avenue to the bunkroom so that the boys couldn't go upstairs.  
  
"What're y'all just sittin around here for?" Specs asked cheerfully "Haven't you heard? We have a wedding to plan."  
  
"Newsie style!" Jack added, earning a cheer from the boys.  
  
Gabe was the first to approach us, shaking hands with Specs before pulling me into a brotherly hug. "It's about time. Congratulations. I'm rally happy for the two of you."  
  
"I'm glad," I said, pulling back slightly. "Because I want you to walk me down the isle."  
  
He kissed me on the forehead. "I'd be honored, kiddo. Now go find your fiancé."  
  
I looked to my left, where Specs and Steamer had been, only to find that they had vanished into the sea of newsies. With a smile, I set out to find them, accepting hugs from the boys as I searched.  
  
"There you are. All set," Mrs. Paige said as she fastened the veil in my hair. "You look beautiful, dear."  
  
I moved to the mirror in the small room. My breath caught in my throat when I saw my reflection.  
  
As soon as she had heard the news of our engagement, Mrs. Paige has retrieved my mother's trunk from the attic. Now I stood before the mirror in the dress in awe. It was as if I were looking at a photograph.  
  
"I look just like her," I murmured.  
  
"You look beautiful," Gabe called from the doorway. "The minister says that it is time."  
  
Mrs. Paige kissed me on the cheek before slipping out the door to her seat. I peaked out the door at the crowd of newsies in the church. Specs stood in the front, wearing a fine grey suit that Jack lent him.  
  
Gabe offered me his elbow. "You ready?"  
  
I took a deep breath and nodded.  
  
"Do you, Benjamin Cooper, take this woman to be your wife to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"  
  
The boys in the church chuckled slightly at the use of Specs' real name. He just smiled and looked into my eyes. "I do."  
  
"And do you, Belinda Spencer, take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"  
  
"I do," I replied, my voice shaky from joyful tears.  
  
The minister smiled down at us. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."  
  
"Kiss her!" Jack called out, joined by calls from the other newsies.  
  
Specs looked at the minister, who nodded, and turned back to me.  
  
"We did it," he whispered before pulling me into a gentle kiss. 


	14. Epilogue

"Mother!"  
  
"Alfred, how many times must I tell you," I shouted back, "no yelling in the house."  
  
Jack sat at the table, stifling a grin as the boy walked into the kitchen. "Listen to your mother, Steamer."  
  
"Sure thing, Cowboy."  
  
"Sides," Jack continued, "your ma's in no shape to be dealin with you right now."  
  
I set my hand on my bulging stomach. "Listen to the man, Alfred. Don't aggravate the pregnant woman."  
  
"Trust me; I've learned that the hard way." Specs came through the swinging door, placing a kiss on my cheek.  
  
I rolled my eyes at him. "Where are the boys?"  
  
"Late as usual," Jack murmured.  
  
Suddenly a pain shot through my abdomen and I cried out in pain.  
  
"What is it, Bel?" Specs asked, his voice thick with concern. "The baby?"  
  
I nodded as the pain came again.  
  
Steamer stood beside the table, staring at me wide eyed. "Are you alright, Mother?"  
  
I looked up at Jack, who quickly took control. "She will be fine, Steamer. Now you run along and send the doctor here. Then you go straight to the lodging house and tell the boys that there will be no classes for a few days. Wait there for me to come to get you, ya hear?"  
  
Steamer nodded hesitantly before following Jack's order.  
  
Hours later, I lay in my bed completely exhausted. Specs sat beside me, holding in his arms a bundle wrapped in blankets. Our daughter.  
  
There was a light knock on the door and Jack entered followed by Steamer and Gabriel.  
  
"Look who I found," Jack said as Gabe moved beside the bed and kissed my forehead.  
  
I smiled, resting my head on the pillow behind me.  
  
Steamer sheepishly walked over to Specs and lifted the blanket. He smiled up at me when he saw the baby sleeping soundly. "Who is that?"  
  
"That is your sister, kid," Gabe said, standing over Steamer. "She's beautiful just like her mother."  
  
Specs stood, placing the baby in Gabe's arms before he pulled Steamer up onto his lap. For a moment, Gabe looked awkward, holding the bundle stiffly. He soon relaxed and smiled down at her. "What did you name her?"  
  
"Gabriella," I said weakly, taking Specs' hand.  
  
Gabe's head shot up and I winked at him, smirking slightly. 


End file.
